Photo courtesy of the Pioneers of Dallas County Facebook page.
While many of us are complaining about dropping temperatures, here’s a nice reminder of the worst type of hot weather — a six-year drought that plagued Dallas and White Rock Lake.
The drought started in 1951 and ended in 1957. At one point, there were 52 days that the temperature across Dallas County reached 100 degrees or more.
“If I remember correctly, the temperature was 110 degrees for 30 days,” said Jim Foster, administrator of the Pioneers of Dallas County Facebook page. “It was a common sight to see the tar bubble up on those ole county roads as a result of the extreme heat.
“The temperature reached 110 degrees on July 12, 1954, which set a record that lasted for almost 30 years. Then on Jan. 18, 1952, a temperature of 83 degrees was recorded, which was around 30 degrees above normal.”
Graph courtesy of the NOAA National Centers for Environmental information.
Dallas became very close to completely running out of water, igniting a fire under city officials’ behinds. They were determined to never come that close to running out of water again, which is why Dallas has so many man-made lakes to draw water from today.
Dallas officials and residents dug and revitalized wells. One was at Buckner and Northwest Highway.
“The locals would bring their buckets and fill up,” Buckner said. “It was a lot of trouble, but also a matter of survival.”
As you cling to your coats and gloves, remember that it could be sweaty, 110-degree days for 30 straight days.
